Yale-Based Start-up Sets Sights on Production Level Renewable Methanol Fuel for Aviation, Maritime and Petrochemical Industries
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Oxylus Energy, the Yale-based start-up formerly known as Carbon Loop, announced today that it has successfully passed key benchmark tests for the deployment and commercialization of its proprietary catalyst and electrolyzer technology in a 5cm2 cell. This is a critical platform for design iterations, as it offers significant predictability for performance at the size of commercial-scale cells.
No existing company has achieved the capability to convert captured carbon dioxide into methanol using an electrolyzer at room temperature & pressure at a production-level scale. Oxylus’ technology, however, holds the promise of being one of the most cost-effective methods for generating renewable methanol, potentially surpassing fossil-derived methanol. This groundbreaking potential positions Oxylus at the forefront of innovation in this field.
Methanol, the simplest liquid hydrocarbon, becomes an ideal application for utilizing captured carbon dioxide. It also serves as a direct fuel for shipping, can be easily upgraded into aviation fuel and acts as a versatile feedstock for various chemicals and plastics. This has the potential to decarbonize 11% of global emissions – a huge opportunity.
By directly converting CO2 into methanol, this avoids the use of a second reactor to create hydrogen, Oxylus’ process saves costs and energy. Producing methanol as the only liquid end product also reduces separation and distillation expenses, making the entire process simpler and more cost-effective than other CO2 electrolysis methods.
With the successful validation of its 5cm2 platform, Oxylus is immediately prepared for the next phase of development, gearing up for tests at 10x scale before the end of the year. The upcoming trials will focus on the newly designed and constructed 50 cm2 cell and incorporate stability testing into the evaluation process.
“This successful test confirms our capacity to generate renewable methanol on a platform that instills confidence in our ability to scale. The 5cm2 unit is the cornerstone of any electrolysis company as it has a high predictability for performance at the production scale. While diligently testing our 5cm2 electrolyzer, we simultaneously developed a larger 50cm2 counterpart to prove that we can develop larger electrolyzers that are firmly off the bench-scale. Our sights are already set on the next significant step on our scale-up journey – a production-level cell,” says Perry Bakas, Co-Founder of Oxylus Energy. “Major industries like the aviation and petrochemical industries need clean, renewable solutions now. We are not wasting any time.”
Oxylus Energy continues its commitment to sustainable energy solutions, contributing to a cleaner, greener future.
About Oxylus: Oxylus Energy, formerly Carbon Loop, is on a mission to make carbon capture and conversion circular, scalable, and competitive by creating renewable methanol from captured carbon dioxide through a proprietary one-step process. The company has received recognition and grants, including being selected as a Top Ten Startup at Rice’s Energy Technology Venture Forum, winning the Yale Climate Innovation Grant and securing the runner-up position at the HBS Climate Symposium.
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SOURCE Oxylus Energy
